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They certainly broke the mold when they made Alicia Keys. While her third studio album As I Am [J Records] comes long awaited, its more than another blessed offering from the New York City songstress. As I Am is exactly as the title suggests  Alicia in her barest form, much more, nothing less. Songs In A Minor was a brilliant, albeit unexpected debut in the budding career of Miss A. Keys. When Fallin hit the airwaves, it was a shock to the system, given her arrival at a time when we lost all faith in singer/songwriters. Her unique style and heartfelt sound placed her in the running as R&Bs it girl, not to mention Clive Davis shining star. By The Diary of Alicia Keys, we were absorbed with her homegrown talent, as songs like Diary and Karma harbored strong melodies and less focus on who Alicia should be, rather who she was as a developing superstar. Movies, books, and nine Grammys later, were still trying to get close to Alicia until now. As I Am is free of any preconceived label-fied notions of what a classic R&B album should sound like. Thats probably due in part to Alicias management of her masters up until weeks before the release. Opting for bundles of slow to mid-tempo records, Alicias focus is more lyrical, supported by this newly intensified tone in her vocals. She might not be specific about what broke her down in recent years, but its quite obvious through her pipes that shes suffered, and we feel her through every note. While the topic of choice for As I Am is love, it manifests itself in various forms throughout the album. Despite its mixed reviews, No One is the most obvious proof of Alicias desire to sing her heart out. While her harmonies are far more dulled than her traditional cooing, it comes together beautifully over hard-hitting drums, keyboards, and guitars. Her follow-up Like Youll Never See Me Again is an unlikely second single, but this is A. Keys, and she does what she wants (strangely it always works out). Superwoman hosts a church organ ode to strong women, while Lesson Learned (featuring John Mayer) begins slowly and later erupts with emotion as Alicia sings, Yes, I was burned, but I called it a lesson learned. From young Wreckless Love in a Teenage Love Affair to the horn-heavy I Need You, As I Am presents an Alicia that were meeting for the first time. Whether a permanent transition or merely a one-time therapeutic work, Alicia does it like no one can.